Category: MSFT

Internet Explorer, the browser you all once loved to hate, has grown stronger over the last few years. After ignoring its web-browser for a long time,
the software giant not only added many enticing features into it, but also made the browser much more secure and stable. However, there are some
of you out there that dislike Internet Explorer, for whatever your reasons may be.

In an MSDN blog post, a Microsoft employee has outlined the process to uninstall Internet Explorer 9, Internet Explorer 10, and Internet Explorer 11
via command line. In order to proceed, you must be logged into your computer as an administrator, or an account that has administrative rights.

Click Start, type cmd in the Search box, and then click cmd under Programs. Copy and paste the following commands into the Command Prompt window,
and then press Enter (the first command is for IE9, the second command is for IE10, and the last command is for IE11):

Examples covered in this blog are for:

Internet Explorer 9

Internet Explorer 10

Internet Explorer 11

Example for uninstalling Internet explorer 9

Log on to the computer by using an administrator account or an account that has administrative rights.

Close all Internet Explorer browser windows.

Click Start, type cmd in the Search box, and then click cmd under Programs.

Paste the command into the Command Prompt window, and then press Enter.

Restart the computer.Once you have executed the command, you must restart your computer.

Internet Explorer 11 is a fantastic browser and is the company’s latest internet browser available on Windows 7 and Windows 8. If you dislike Internet Explorer, hit the comments below and tell us why! We won’t judge you for wanting to remove Internet Explorer – everyone has their preferences! Just keep in mind that Internet Explorer 11 sports some unique and intuitive features that make it stand tall against its competitors.

Microsoft is getting close to releasing the second version of the company’s Kinect for Windows hardware. In an official blog post, Microsoft is showing off the hardware design. "The sensor closely resembles the Kinect for Xbox One, except that it says “Kinect” on the top panel, and the Xbox Nexus – the stylized green “x” – has been changed to a simple, more understated power indicator," Microsoft stated in an official blog post.

The sensor requires the hub and the power supply, which accepts three connections: the sensor, USB 3.0 output to PC, and power. The power supply itself supports voltages from 100 – 240 volts.

Developers were able to get their hands on an alpha version of the hardware last summer, as well as early access to the SDK. Developers are expected to get a final version of the Kinect for Windows 2.0 hardware for free when it becomes available.

Microsoft plans to offer more updates as we inch closer to the release of Kinect for Windows 2.0. According to ZDNet, Microsoft is planning on releasing this product by summer of this year.

You can take a look at the new design below.

As Microsoft continue the march toward the upcoming launch of Kinect for Windows v2, we’re excited to share the hardware’s final look. Sensor

The sensor closely resembles the Kinect for Xbox One, except that it says “Kinect” on the top panel, and the Xbox Nexus—the stylized green “x”—has been changed to a simple, more understated power indicator:

Kinect for Windows v2 sensor

Hub and power supply

The sensor requires a couple other components to work: the hub and the power supply. Tying everything together is the hub (top item pictured below), which accepts three connections: the sensor, USB 3.0 output to PC, and power. The power supply (bottom item pictured below) does just what its name implies: it supplies all the power the sensor requires to operate. The power cables will vary by country or region, but the power supply itself supports voltages from 100–240 volts.

Kinect for Windows v2 hub (top) and power supply (bottom)

As this first look at the Kinect for Windows v2 hardware indicates, we’re getting closer and closer to launch. So stay tuned for more updates on the next generation of Kinect for Windows.

Thinking of how you Sync Files and Folders remotely before might have been a pain (nightmare) – Introducing what’s new in Windows 8.1 and 2012 R2 that can help.

Thinking of how you Sync Files and Folders remotely before might have been a pain (nightmare), offline syncing was not easy and you had to be connected to the LAN or connected via a VPN.

Over the past years this has got better in Windows 7 and then Windows 8 and now in Windows 8.1 and Window Server 2012 R2 the options have got better and more.

Options available: How Work Folders Compares to Other Microsoft Sync Technologies

Consumer / personal data

Individual work data

Team / group work data

Personal devices

Access protocol

Data location

SkyDrive

X

X

HTTPS

Public cloud

SkyDrive Pro

X

X

X

HTTPS

SharePoint / Office 365

Work Folders

X

X

HTTPS

File server

Folder Redirection / Client-Side Caching

X

SMB (only from on-prem or using VPN)

File server

Microsoft have published a few links and walk thoughts how this

Microsoft Working Folders

Work Folders address the bring-your-own device (BYOD) scenario, enabling users to store and access work files on personal PCs and devices as well as corporate PCs. Users gain a convenient location to store work files and access them from anywhere, while organizations maintain control over corporate data, storing the files on centrally managed file servers and optionally specifying user device policies such as encryption and lock screen passwords.

Work Folders can be deployed alongside existing deployments of Folder Redirection, Offline Files, and home folders. Work Folders stores user files in a folder on the server called a sync share, and you can specify a folder that already contains user data, enabling you to adopt Work Folders without migrating servers and data or immediately phasing out your existing solution.

Here is some of the functionality that Work Folders includes:

Provide a single point of access to work files on a user’s work and personal PCs and devices (Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1, with immediate plans to follow up with Windows 7 and iPad support and other devices likely in the future)

Access work files while offline and sync with the central file server when the PC or device next has Internet or network connectivity

Maintain data encryption in transit as well as at rest on devices and allow corporate data wipe through device management services such as Windows Intune

Managing a Mac using Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM)

A few resources becoming available whilst thinking about using Mac’s in the Enterprise. One item is though do people that bring Mac via BYOD or other methods what management tools installed on them. Hmmm…

Microsoft now with System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2012 Sp1 have some features

Also Parallels have Parallels Management Suite for Microsoft SCCM which adds support to System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 and 2012

Parallels Management-Mac for Microsoft SCCM – Overview

Macs are a reality in businesses today, and they need to be managed. Whether you want to extend your current SCCM-based desktop management infrastructure or consolidate multiple systems to minimize redundancy and save money, we can help. As the leaders in making Windows and Mac work together seamlessly, we understand Apple technologies and the needs of IT teams who use SCCM and also need to manage Macs.

Full visibility of the Macs on your networkNo more guessing how many Macs are really there. Automatically scan the network ranges you choose, and discover Macs on your network. Then, have the Parallels Management-Mac for Microsoft SCCM agent auto-install and enroll them. The plug-in ensures you have the broadest range of Macs covered, including Mac OS X 10.8x, 10.7x, and 10.6x.

Gain control – easily Software discovery, distribution, and inventory occur just like with your PCs, but without costly Mac-only infrastructure. Our wizard-driven system for application packaging and Mac profile setup makes it easy for SCCM admins with minimal Mac skills, so anyone can be a pro in no time. And we make it simple to use Apple’s latest FileVault 2 technology to provide the best security available on your Macs.

The document provides a step-by-step guide on how to deploy a Microsoft Lync 2013 client on a VMware Horizon Viewdesktop along with a Lync VDI plugin on a Windows client.
By doing so, customers can leverage the power of the Lync VDI plugin to make rich voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) and videoconferencing calls without negatively affecting the datacenter server or network.

The document will help partners and customers understand and avoid some common mistakes when deploying the Microsoft Lync 2013 client and Lync VDI plugin with Horizon View desktops.

Some common pitfalls when deploying the Lync 2013 client and Lync VDI plugin include:

Knowing what is and is not supported

Downloading/installing the correct software

Misconfiguration of Lync 2013 server and client and Lync VDI plugin

Windows client misconfiguration

Follow up questions

If you have additional questions regarding the deployment of the Lync 2013 client and Lync VDI plugin with Horizon View 5.2 desktops, please post your questions to our community page.

The good news for many frustrated users of Windows 8 is Microsoft is bringing back the start button in Windows 8.1. It might not operate in quite the same way as the Start button does in previous incarnations of the operating system, but at least it’s there.

Microsoft released a teaser video a couple of days ago which highlighted many of the new features to look forward to in the OS refresh, but the Start button wasn’t among them. The software giant did however, demo the button — and the improved interface — at Computex 2013, and a video captured by NetworkWorld shows our little clickable friend in action.

The short clip begins by covering the UI improvements, including the ability to swipe upwards to reveal the Apps page, and then takes us to the desktop, where the Start button is to be found in its usual position. When the button is clicked, the Start screen appears with the Windows wallpaper behind it — making the Modern UI appear more like an overlay than a totally different interface. It’s pretty far less jarring, pretty seamless, and brings the desktop and Modern UI much closer together.

I can’t help wondering if it might not have been better to actually have the Start screen as a real overlay — so open windows are visible in the background — but I’m happy to reserve judgment until the public preview build is released on June 26.

There are plenty of other YouTube videos of Windows 8.1 in action at Computex, including this excellent (and very long) public demo of the forthcoming OS. Microsoft also released a very, very short — blink and you’ll miss it — Start button teaser.

Networking features optimized for mobile productivity. Windows 8.1 improves mobile productivity for today’s workforce with new networking capabilities that take advantage of NFC-tagged and Wi-Fi connected devices, including:

NFC tap-to-pair printing– Tap your Windows 8.1 device against an enterprise NFC-enabled printer and you’re all set to print. No more hunting on your network for the correct printer and no need to buy a special printer; just attach a NFC tag to your existing machines. And you don’t need to buy new printers to take advantage of this; you can simply put an NFC tag on your existing printers to enable this functionality.

Native Miracast wireless display– Present your work wirelessly without any dongles needed; simply project your content to a Miracast-enabled device by pairing the device through Bluetooth or NFC. Miracast will then use the available Wi-Fi connection to let you lean back and project wire-free.

Auto-triggered VPN – When you select an app or resource that needs access through the inbox VPN – like a company’s intranet site – Windows 8.1 will automatically prompt you to sign in with one click. This feature will be available with Microsoft and third-party inbox VPN clients.

Security enhancements for device proliferation and mobility.Security continues to be a top priority for companies across the world, so we’re making sure we continue to invest resources to help you protect your corporate data, applications and devices:

Modern Access Controls– Sign in and authenticate devices with new support for fingerprint-based biometrics. Multi-factor authentication using Virtual Smart Cards will also be made even easier in Windows 8.1.

Malware Resistance –Windows Defender, Microsoft’s free antivirus solution in Windows 8, will include network behavior monitoring to help detect and stop the execution of known and unknown malware. Internet Explorer will scan binary extensions (e.g. ActiveX) using the antimalware solution before potentially harmful code is executed.

Improved management solutions to make BYOD a reality. As BYOD scenarios continue to grow in popularity among businesses, Windows 8.1 will make managing mobile devices even easier for IT Pros:

Improved IT controls– IT departments can now control the layout of the Start screen on company-issued devices to ensure key apps are easily accessible. IT departments can also prevent users from customizing their start screen to ensure consistency across individual workgroups or the entire company.

Remote business data removal– Allows personal devices to connect to, access and store company content that can be efficiently removed from the device by IT at a later date while leaving the personal data intact.

Open MDM– With Windows 8.1, new Open Mobile Alliance Device Management (OMA-DM) capabilities are built into the OS and enable mobile device management using third-party MDM solutions, such as MobileIron or AirWatch, with no additional agent required. Enhanced policies allow administrators to manage more settings from both Windows Intune and the third-party MDM solutions for both Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1.

Workplace Join – Further control access to company data by ensuring that only registered and trusted devices are allowed to access secured enterprise data.

More control over business devices. Businesses can more effectively deliver an intended experience to their end users – whether that be employees or customers.

Assigned Access – Enable a single Windows Store application experience on the device (e.g. a learning application for a child, a customer service application at a boutique.) Enabling this feature turns on a predefined set of filters that blocks other actions so the user only experiences the specified application and is unable to access system files and other applications.